ncaa-manual

14.2.4.3.3 Medical Documentation. Contemporaneous or other appropriate medical documentation,from a physician (a medical doctor) who administered care at the time of the injury or illness, that establishesthe student-athlete’s inability to compete as a result of that injury or illness shall be submitted withany hardship-waiver request. (Adopted: 4/20/99, Revised: 2/22/01)14.2.4.3.4 First-Half-of-Season Calculation.14.2.4.3.4.1 Team Sports. In team sports, the first half of the season is measured by the number ofscheduled contests or dates of competition not exceeding the maximum limitations in each sport as setforth in Bylaw 17 as set prior to the first scheduled contest or date of competition of the designated officialNCAA championship playing season in the applicable sport or the number of completed contestsor dates of competition. In determining if an injury or illness occurs prior to the first competition of thesecond half of the season that concludes with the NCAA championship in a sport with an odd numberof scheduled or completed contests or dates of competition, the injury or illness must have occurredprior to the beginning of the scheduled or completed varsity contest or date of competition that startsthe second half of the season that concludes with the NCAA championship (e.g., an injury or illnessoccurring at any time after the beginning of the scheduled sixth game of an 11-game schedule would beconsidered to be after the first half of the institution’s season and would not qualify the student-athletefor a hardship waiver). (Revised: 1/14/97 effective 8/1/97, 4/26/01 effective 8/1/01, 8/4/05, 4/24/08)14.2.4.3.4.1.1 Contests or Dates of Competition Based on Championship Selection.In sports in which the playing season may be divided into two segments, but championshipselection is based on competition throughout the season (e.g., ice hockey), the first halfof the season shall be measured by the institution’s number of scheduled or completed varsitycontests or dates of competition for the entire season (e.g., nonchampionship and championshipsegments). In sports in which the playing season may be divided into two segments, but championshipselection is based on competition during only one segment of the season (e.g., springbaseball, fall soccer), the first half of the season shall be measured by the institution’s numberof scheduled or completed varsity contests or dates of competition for only the championshipsegment. (Adopted: 4/23/08)14.2.4.3.4.2 Individual Sports. In individual sports, the first-half-of-the-season calculation isbased on the number of days in the season that concludes with the NCAA championship, as declaredby the institution, between the first date of competition used by any individual on the team and the lastdate of competition used by any individual on the team at the end of the declared playing season, includinga conference championship and any regular-season competition scheduled after the conferencechampionship (e.g., “last chance” meet). Any break in the declared season shall not be counted (e.g.,institutional vacation period in which no practice or competition occurs). The total number of days inthe championship season shall be divided by two in order to determine the first half of the season. Afractional portion of a day shall be rounded up to the next whole number. (Adopted: 4/24/08)14.2.4.3.4.2.1 Championship Selection Based on Entire Season. In sports in which theplaying season may be divided into two segments, but championship selection is based on competitionthroughout the season (e.g., golf, tennis), the first half of the season is based on the numberof days in the entire season (e.g., nonchampionship and championship segments), as declared bythe institution between the first date of competition used by any individual on the team and thelast date of competition used by any individual on the team at the end of the declared playingseason, including a conference championship and any regular-season competition scheduled afterthe conference championship (e.g., “last chance” meet). (Revised: 9/2/10)14.2.4.3.5 Reinjury in Second Half of Season. A student-athlete who suffers an injury in the first halfof the season that concludes with the NCAA championship or who suffers an injury after the first day ofclasses in his or her senior year of high school, attempts to return to competition during the second half ofthat season and then is unable to participate further as a result of aggravating the original injury does notqualify for the hardship waiver. (Revised: 11/01/01, 8/8/02)14.2.4.3.6 Percent Calculation. The following requirements are to be met in determining the percentcalculation under this waiver provision: (Note: The percent calculation requirements set forth in Bylaws14.2.4 and 14.2.4.3.6 apply only to the waiver provisions of this section and do not apply to the maximumandminimum-contests requirements in Bylaws 17 and 20.)14.2.4.3.6.1 Denominator in Percent Computation.14.2.4.3.6.1.1 Team Sports. The denominator in the institution’s percent calculation shall bebased on the institution’s number of scheduled or completed varsity contests or dates of competition[see Bylaw 14.2.4-(c)] as computed for playing and practice season purposes in Bylaw 17 forthe applicable sport. [Note: Exempted events in Bylaw 17 are included in the percent calculation,except as provided in Bylaw 14.2.4-(c).] An institution participating in a single-elimination eventmay only count the actual contests in which the institution participates (as opposed to the numberof contests scheduled in the event) in determining the number of scheduled or completed contests14Eligibility151